Latino Task Force (LTF) Casa de Apoyo started in a neighborhood garage, through the sheer will of the community. Or, as Valerie Tulier, Co-Founder of LTF, put it: it was “born out of a crisis and fueled by love.”
When COVID hit, it devastated the Excelsior neighborhood of San Francisco.
“People were sick, scared, and struggling,” Valerie recalled. A group of community activists came together to protect and uplift Latino families and other communities of color in need during this time. Volunteers began handing out groceries, and from there, helping people find legal aid, housing, and educational support.
“We were handing out food boxes three times a week, serving thousands of families a month,” she said.
Five years later, that moment in a garage has grown into LTF Casa de Apoyo. And now, with the opening of La Tiendita, a Community Market nestled in LTF Casa de Apoyo and built in partnership with Mission Language and Vocational School and the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, what started as an emergency response has become a permanent resource for the community that willed it into being.
Community Markets are grocery store-like spaces where participants choose the food they want, on a schedule that works for them, and access services that address the root causes of food insecurity. By this summer, the Food Bank plans to have a Community Market in nearly every district across San Francisco.
La Tiendita serves about 400 households each week and expects to grow to more than 700 over time. Staff and volunteers speak the languages of the community, so families can ask questions and learn about available resources without a language barrier.
Katia Padilla, Chief Operating Officer of the Latino Task Force, said the team built La Tiendita with the mission of removing the barriers and stigma that can come with seeking support.
“What we’re doing is making sure people are able to shop for their food and pick up the culturally relevant foods they’re going to take home and cook for their families,” she said. “We want it to feel like home. We want it to feel like this is a safe space.”
When Elda moved to San Francisco from Guatemala, she needed work, housing and food for herself and her children. She found LTF Casa de Apoyo . She kept coming back, and before long she was volunteering, cooking vegetarian meals and proteins for the other volunteers. “I’ve gained confidence,” she said. “I feel like a true leader. I love this community and want to do everything I can.”
More than food on the shelves
Access to good food can open doors to stability. For Agustin Angel Bernabe, Community Market Manager at La Tiendita, that’s why the space goes beyond food. “The first step is making sure that you’re healthy and getting nutrients,” he said. “Beyond that, we see the need of education and resources. Through this expansion, we’ll be able to provide that for our community.”
Agustin hears it from the people he serves. “They tell us, ‘This program serves cultural food and everyone is always so welcoming,” he recalls. “They say it’s almost like they’re back home, which is so important when they’re far from their home country and feeling homesick.”
Noriko Lim-Tepper, the Food Bank’s Chief of Strategic Partnership, Advocacy and Voice Officer, called La Tiendita ” a model for San Francisco and a model that people should look towards when serving their community.” At a time when the need is so high, she said, “this is the power of community and is an example of how we can all come together and be there for our families, neighbors and friends.”
The Food Bank is proud to partner with LTF Casa de Apoyo in helping to bring accessible support under one roof. Food is a human right, and partnerships like this are how we make that real.
Valerie put it best: “We are celebrating a community market rooted in dignity, choice, and the belief that our families deserve access to healthy, culturally relevant food.”
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